The Bhagavad Gita As It Is Ch 2 Text 13-14

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The Bhagavad Gita As It Is Ch 2 Text 13-14

 

Contents of the Gita Summarized

 

TEXT 13

 

dehino'smin yatha dehe

kaumararm yauvanam jara

tatha dehantara-praptir

dhiras tatra na muhyati

 

dehinah—of the embodied; asmin—in this;yatha—as; dehe—in the body;

kaumaram— boyhood; yauvanam— youth; jara— old age; tatha—- similarly;

dehantara—transference of the body; praptih—achievement; dhirah—the

sober; tat ra— thereupon; na—never; muhyati— deluded.

 

TRANSLATION

 

As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood

to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at

death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.

 

PURPORT

 

Since every living entity is an individual soul, each is chanting his

body every moment, manifesting sometimes as a child, sometimes as a

youth, and sometimes as an old man. Yet the same spirit soul is there

and does not undergo any change. This individual soul finally changes

the body at death and transmigrates to another body; and since it is

sure to have another body in the next birth—either material or

spiritual—there was no cause for lamentation by Arjuna on account of

death, neither for Bhisma nor for Drona, for whom he was so much

concerned. Rather, he should rejoice for their changing bodies from

old to new ones, thereby rejuve­nating their energy. Such changes of

body account for varieties of enjoy­ment or suffering, according to

one's work in life. So Bhisma and Drona, being noble souls, were

surely going to have either spiritual bodies in the next life, or at

least life in heavenly bodies for superior enjoyment of material

existence. So, in either case, there was no cause of lamentation.

Any man who has perfect knowledge of the constitution of the individu­

al soul, the Supersoul, and nature—both material and spiritual—is

called a dhira or a most sober man. Such a man is never deluded by

the change of bodies. The Mayavadi theory of oneness of the spirit

soul cannot be enter­tained on the ground that spirit soul cannot be

cut into pieces as a frag­mental portion. Such cutting into different

individual souls would make the Supreme cleavable or changeable,

against the principle of the Supreme Soul being unchangeable.

As confirmed in the Gita, the fragmental portions of the Supreme

exist eternally (sanatana) and are called Krsna, that is, they have a

tendency to fall down into material nature. These fragmental portions

are eternally so,and even after liberation, the individual soul

remains the same—fragmental. But once liberated, he lives an eternal

life in bliss and knowledge with the Personality of Godhead. The

theory of reflection can be applied to the Supersoul who is present

in each and every individual body and is known as the Paramatma, who

is different from the individual living entity. When the sky is

reflected in water, the reflections represent both the sun and the

moon and the stars also. The stars can be compared to the living

entities and the sun or the moon to the Supreme Lord. The individual

fragmental spirit soul is represented by Arjuna, and the Supreme Soul

is the Per­sonality of Godhead Sri Krsna They are not on the same

level, as it will be apparent in the beginning of the Fourth Chapter.

If Arjuna is on the same level with Krsna, and Krsna is not superior

to Arjuna, then their relation­ship of instructor and instructed

becomes meaningless. If both of them are deluded by the illusory

energy (maya), then there is no need of one being the instructor and

the other the instructed. Such instruction would be useless because,

in the clutches of maya no one can he an authoritative instructor.

Under the circumstances, it is admitted that Lord Krsna is the

Supreme Lord, superior in position to the living entity, Arjuna, who

is a forgotten soul deluded by maya

 

 

TEXT 14

 

matra sparsas tu kaunteya

sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah

agamapayino `nityas

tams titiksasva bharata

 

matra— sensuous; sparsah—perception; tu—only; kaunteya— 0 son of

Kuntil; sita—winter; usna—summer; sukha—happiness; duhkha-dah—giving

pain; agama— appearing; apayinah— disappearing; anityah—

nonpermanent; tan—all of them; titiksasva—just try to tolerate;

bharata—O descendant of the Bharata dynasty.

 

TRANSLATION

 

O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and

distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the

appearance and dis­appearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise

from sense percep­lion, 0 scion of Bharata, and one must learn to

tolerate them without being disturbed.

 

PURPORT

 

In the proper discharge of duty, one has to learn to tolerate nonper­

manent appearances and disappearances of happiness and distress. Ac­

cording to Vedic injunction, one has to take his bath early in the

morning even during the month of Magha (January-February). It is very

cold at that time, but in spite of that a man who abides by the

religious principles does not hesitate to take his bath. Similarly, a

woman does not hesitate to cook in the kitchen in the months of May

and June, the hottest part of the summer season. One has to execute

his duty in spite of climatic incon­veniences. Similarly, to fight is

the religious principle of the ksatriyas, and although one has to

fight with some friend or relative, one should not deviate from his

prescribed duty. One has to follow the prescribed rules and

regulations of religious principles in order to rise up to the

platform of knowledge because by knowledge and devotion only can one

liberate him­self from the clutches of maya (illusion).

The two different names of address given to Arjuna are also

significant. To address him as Kaunteya signifies his great blood

relations from his mother's side; and to address him as Bharata

signifies his greatness from his father's side. From both sides he is

supposed to have a great heritage. A great heritage brings

responsibility in the matter of proper discharge of duties;

therefore, he cannot avoid fighting.

 

HARE KRSNA!All traslations are done by

His Divine Grace A.C.Bhativedanta Swami Prabhupada,

Who is Known By His Disciples, And Grand Father Diciples,

In Direct Line of His Disiplic Succession, Affectionatly As ,

Srila Prabhupada

 

Please read how He Brought This Krsna Consciousness,and the Disiplic

Succession to the West,Practically Pennyless,and Singlehanded in

the Web Site--------KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS THE MATCHLESS GIFT

http://krsnajoe.tripod.com

 

 

HARE KRSNA HARE KRSNA KRSNA KRSNA HARE HARE

HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

 

 

Your Humble Servant

Jaya Kesava Dasa